What is the minimum recommended scrubbing time during proper handwashing in food service?

• A. 5 seconds
• B. 60 seconds
• C. 20 seconds
• D. 10 seconds

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is giving hands enough time for soap and scrubbing to actually remove contaminants. The minimum standard in food service is twenty seconds of scrubbing with soap. This duration ensures all surfaces—palms, backs of the hands, between the fingers, under the nails, and the wrists—get thorough friction and soap contact, followed by rinsing and drying. Shorter times don’t provide enough contact time to lift oils and microbes, while sixty seconds is longer than usually needed for routine service. Following the twenty-second rule helps keep hands clean before handling food and after activities that contaminate hands.